Click photo to access more on Facebook from "Inauguration Weekend, Part II."So, here is what Alissa and I have done since Sunday: attended the Lincoln Memorial "We Are One" concert, visited the National Museum of American History, explored the National Mall, waited in line for 5 hours for the Inauguration, checked out the National Gallery, visited the FDR and Jefferson memorials, and went to the top of the Washington Monument. In spite of attending classes on Wednesday and Thursday, it has felt like I've been taking a vacation this week, acting as a tourist (albeit, with Metro savvy).
The one disappointment was the Inauguration itself, I'm afraid. Alissa and I walked over to the line labeled "TO NATIONAL MALL" on 3rd Street, NW between D and C Street at 4 o'clock in the morning, and stood in line for five hours to get through security, only to have our hopes dashed--the checkpoint closed its Mall access, and was only open to the parade route. From the parade route, the ceremony could neither be seen nor heard, due to the lack of Jumbotrons and speakers. What a bummer! We stood on the parade route for a couple of hours, but decided to go home around 11 am because we were freezing and weren't really getting much out of standing there.
In fact, we were beginning to exhibit symptoms of hypothermia in our feet, which was really scary; as Wikipedia describes of Stage 1 hypothermia, "often, a person will experience a warm sensation, as if they have recovered, but they are in fact heading into Stage 2." Our feet had progressed from cold, to painfully cold, to numb, to feeling oddly warm. No good. Once we got back to my apartment, it took us nearly two hours before we felt normal... even with the heat blasting and while under multiple blankets. Yikes!
My roommate Betsy was similarly foiled by the disastrous management of the security checkpoints, and didn't make it onto the Mall, either. She baked cinnamon rolls for all of us, and we streamed the inauguration on my laptop. It felt pretty lame to watch it on my laptop when we were literally a half-mile away from the event, but it was the best we could do.
I loved the performance of "Air and Simple Gifts." (I also love Stephen Colbert's theory that Yo-Yo Ma is technically the President of the United States because he was on camera at 12 o'clock noon.) I'm really upset with Chief Justice Roberts for messing up the oath, though. What the heck, Roberts?! It just tainted the whole ceremony. Oh, well. I thought President Obama's speech was fine, though I still believe that his best speech was his keynote address at the 2004 DNC. The parade was fun to watch. I loved it when Barack and Michelle got out of the limo (apparently nicknamed "the Beast," which I find rather fitting), and walked along Pennsylvania Ave. They are so charismatic.
Now that Alissa has headed back to California, it is back to law school for me. Homework and job applications are my prevalent concerns at the moment. Also, applications to become a Resident Fellow for Gewirz open on Monday. Resident Fellows, or RFs, are the five students that live in Gewirz, Georgetown Law's dorm (where I currently live), and serve the dorm by fostering community, helping with security and emergencies, and providing counsel to the residents. I really, really want to be an RF, for several reasons: I would get to live in Gewirz for the next two years, I would get free rent, and I would be able to reach out to first-years. I've always loved working as a mentor to younger students, and I think being an RF would be a great experience. There are only three spots open for next year, so we'll see what happens!
